Compare towns
Carmel vs New Gloucester vs Buxton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Carmel has the most affordable homes ($257k median).
New Gloucester has the most people working from home (14.2%).
Buxton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.3%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Carmel | New Gloucester | Buxton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,941Lowest |
5,766 |
8,512Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.4±4.5Highest 4% above ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
45.5±3.9 about the ME average |
| Carmel and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.5%±5 ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.2%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Buxton and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 17.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.9%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Buxton and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $82,188±$22kLowest 10% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$100,144±$21k 34% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,800±$37kLowest 13% below ME |
$357,100±$29kHighest 20% above ME |
$356,800±$21k 20% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,276±$187 12% above ME |
$1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
$1,613±$266Highest 42% above ME |
| Buxton and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,662Lowest 12% below ME |
$3,417 13% above ME |
$3,422Highest 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±38.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Carmel and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
80.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1991 14 yrs newer than ME |
1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
27 min 9% above ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±3.1 ME: 15.9% |
| New Gloucester and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #77 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME | #104 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 06/MSAD 06 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.